Bulkhead for airships



A ril 15, 1930. w. SI EGLE BULKHEAD FOR AIRSHIPS Filed May 6, 1929 Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT Fries WILHELM SIEGLE, OF FRIEDRICHSI-IAFEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO GOODYEAR ZEP- PEIJIN CORPORATION, OF AKRON, OHIO, A; CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BULKHEAD FOR AIRSHIPS Application filed May 6, 1929. Serial No. 360,919.

This invention relates to bulkheads for rigid airships and it has particular relation to the installation and operating elements of such bulkheads.

The object of the invention is to provide an aircraft bulkhead and connecting elements therefor wherein gas pressure exerted against the bulkhead is yieldably resisted withouttransmitting excessive stresses to the frame structure of the airship.

In airships having rigid built-up main rings or transverse frames, one type of bulkheads previously employed was composed of cord netting. It was diflicult to determine accurately in advance the manner or extent of bulging to which the bulkhead would be subjected, because of the somewhat uncertain 7 factor of elongation of the cords of the not ting. However, if such netting is subjected to stretching before it is installed and then secured circumferentially within a main ring in taut condition, it can be bulged only a slight degree and the main ring will be subjected to undesirable compressive stresses in the event one of two adjacent gas cells which engage the netting becomes deflated. The same conditions are true with regard to a wire netting.

This invent-ion avoids the disadvantages mentioned above by providing a bulkhead which is installed within a main ring in taut condition and includes radial extensible connections secured directly to the circumferential portions of the main ring. These connections are disposed either at the lower por tion only, or they may be employed at all of the corners of the main rings which are ordinarily polygonal in contour. Ropes or cords are adapted to be employed as connections and can be looped one or more turns from the netting to the ring. They are also adapted to be operated manually or mechanically and extended according to the degree of deflation of one of two adjacent gas cells. Another embodiment of the invention involves the employment of springs which are connected normally under tension or com.- pression at a plurality of points about the circumference of the bulkhead and to the main ring, thereby maintaining the bulk head under a predetermined tension. As soon as one gas cell becomes deflated, pressure exerted by the adjacent gas cell tendsto force the netting out of the plane of the main ring. The spring will yield resiliently and permit sufficient bulging of the bulkhead to prevent excessive forces caused by the gas pressure from being transmitted to the main ring.

For a be ter understanding of the invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, of which;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View of'an airship hull having bulkhead connections installed therein according toone form of invention; 3

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational View, on a larger scale, illustrating another form of connections between the bulkhead and the main ring of an airship rand I Figure 3 is a diagrammatical view showing in detail another form of connection. i

In practicing the invention, a bulkhead 10 is installed within a rigid inextensible airship hull 11, which includes an inextensible transverse frame or main ring 12 of the airship superstructure. Rigid main rings of the type disclosed are composed of inner and outer circumferentially disposed girders 13 and 14, which are spacedand rigidly braced by means of connecting girders 15.

The bulkhead 10 is disposed substantially in the plane of the main ring 12 and is provided with bridles 16, the elements of which converge and are connected to extensible elements 17 arranged at spaced locations about the inner circumferential girder 13. In the form of the invention shown by Figure 1, each extensible element 17 comprises a metallic spring having suitable connections 18 and 19 to the netting and to the main ring respectively. In Figure 3 the extensible element 17 shown comprises a compression spring 22 having one end resting upon a flange 23 of a rod 2-iand having its other end resting upon a shoulder 25 of a housing 26. The upper end portion of the rod 24 extends through the housing 26 and is secured to one of the connecting elements 18, while the lower end of the housing 26 is secured to one of the con necting elements 19. When the bulkhead is installed the resilient elements are so tensioned or compressed that the entire netting is tensioned, but is yieldable to forces exerted 5 thereagainst transversely to the plane of, or

axially of, the ring.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by Figure 2, extensible elements 27 are in the form of cables or cords which are looped one 10 or more times through the connections 18 and 19 and are secured as indicated at 28. These connections are adapted to be loosened and by individually drawing the cords tighter the tension in the netting can be regulated as de- 15 sired.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the type of bulkhead and the connections therefor provide for materially improved operation of airships by controln ling the bulging forces caused by the lifting gas and thereby insuring proper stability of such airships.

Although I have illustrated only the pre ferred forms which the invention may asu sume and have described those forms in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of U the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an airship comprising a rigid hull oi constant circumference, a bulkhead composed 86 of intermeshing strands disposed transversely within the hull and spaced resilient fastening devices connecting outer circumferential portion of the bulkhead to the hull.

2. In an airship comprising a rigid main 0 ring having a fixed circumference, a bulkhead disposed substantially in the plane of the main ring, and springs normally under tension connecting the bulkhead at spaced points circumferentially to the main ring.

WILHELM SIEGLE. 

